A Year in the Life of Medieval England by Toni Mount (Amberley Publishing), 2016 373pp., £20 hard, ISBN 978-1-4456-5239-9

The medieval centuries are often associated with dynastic struggles, grisly wars and the formidable influence of the Church. But what about the everyday experience of the royal subjects and common people? Here, alongside the coronations, diplomatic dealings and key battles, can be found the fabric of medieval life as it was lived, in its folk songs, recipes and local gossip. With a diverse range of entries--one for each day of the year--Toni Mount provides an almanac for lovers of all things medieval. A detailed picture is gathered from original sources such as chronicles, manor court rolls, coroners’ rolls and the records of city councils. We learn not only of the royals and nobles of official history but also the quarrels of a miscellany of characters, including William and Christopher of York, Nalle Kittewritte who stole her neighbours’ washing, and Margery from Hereford who was murdered by an Oxford student. The world in which they laboured, loved and lived is vividly reimagined, one day at a time.